THE GERMAN ESCAPEES.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 January 1918, Page 5

THE GERMAN ESCAPEES.

WHERE DID THEY GET THI MONEY* A NOVEL WAR CHEST. '

Auckland, Jan. % The "Star" to-day publishes the w!« lowing: "There lias been eonsiderpSfe speculation regarding gold found in possession of the German prisoners whd" escaped from Motuihi Island when tty#l- - recaptured. Count von Luckner MS about £IOOO when he left Germany-«4# German gold! He succeeded in changi&g a portion into British gold. When f&« disaster overtook the See Adler he divided the money among the two partner each taking .£SOO. Thus he had £6OO in his possession when he waa first captured. This was taken from him by the authorities, and it is still in their possession. There is still to be explained the £123 odd found in the possession of the prisoners when they were recap-] tured. There is little doubt that this! mohey was supplied by von Egidy, the;, Samoan planter. The money 1 was In" gold, in addition to which there wan! about £2O in New Zealand notes and! silver anil about 138 German marks. This money von Egidy did not carry on his. person. He had placed it among the' clothes in his trunk, and although tie authorities searched him, the only ctwh they discovered on him was £3 or £4,, found in his pockets. When he was sent to New Zealand the money came with' him in his trunk, and remained there, M< far as can be gathered, during the seven months he was interned on Somes Island. When he was transferred to Auckland his trunk, still com taining the money, was sent with him. When the escape was planned von Egidy, handed this money over to the and the latter divided it among the party till they got away, when they' handed it back to von Luckner, who put it in a bag for safe keeping. When the Count saw that recapture was inevitable;■ he again distributed the money— £42 in English gold and the remainder (£80), in German gold." t